


The sun never sets on empty roads

by lilmissmaya



Category: Moominvalley (Cartoon 2019), Mumintroll | Moomins Series - Tove Jansson, 楽しいムーミン一家 | Moomin (Anime 1990)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Gen, M/M, Sickfic, injury and illness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-21
Updated: 2019-10-13
Packaged: 2020-10-25 11:53:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,430
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20723774
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lilmissmaya/pseuds/lilmissmaya
Summary: Snufkin and his new friends set out to find a sapphire, but he gets hurt in a mudslide. unwilling to let his friends know he's hurt and stop their adventure, he puts his own life in danger.





	1. Chapter 1

Moomin glanced over his shoulder, looking for snufkin. He’d fallen behind the rest of the group and stopped, leaning against a tree. He looked….

“Snufkin? Snufkin!” he trotted over to snufkin, calling his name. Snufkin finally looked up, his eyes glassy and distant. His face was pale as wax.

“Hey…” he said softly, before crumpling into moomin’s arms. He burned through his clothes, heart hammering under moomin’s paws.

“Snufkin!” gently, he laid him down on the ground before patting his face. “Wake up, please? Snufkin…”

After a long moment his eyes fluttered open, unfocused.

“There we go, what’s wrong? Hey, don’t go back to sleep yet-”

“I’m…” he tried to sit up, but his strength was gone, slumping to the ground. “I can’t… you go….” his breath was quick and shallow, he coughed wetly and his palm came away bloody. “I can’t…”

“Shhh…” he smoothed snufkin’s hair off his hot face. Snufkin whimpered, closing his eyes. Did he faint again? “We won’t leave you behind, you just need to rest, okay?”

The others had doubled back, and with Sniff’s help, moomin shifted snufkin onto his back to carry him. His friend didn’t fight against it, groaning and mumbling deliriously with the handling. 

“He has a bad fever, moomin.” snorkmaiden tried to soothe snufkin, stroking his hair. “He can’t go far.”

“We need to get to shelter before the weather changes.” he agreed, glancing up at the heavy black clouds gathering to the north. 

“Wait.” she grabbed her blanket out of her pack, tucking it around snufkin. “Incase we get caught in the rain.”

“Good idea, snorkmaiden.” he shifted him a little higher on his back, winding at the pained gasp he made. “Let’s go.”

\---

It began with an adventure. Snufkin’s new friends, Moomin, Sniff, Snork and the Snorkmaiden, invited him along to help them find a treasure. A gem, a giant sapphire Moominpappa had heard about on his adventures. It would look good in Moominmamma’s rose garden, moomin thought, and he wanted to get it for her. Snorkmaiden hoped to find one for herself, perhaps for a necklace or a finger ring. The snork wanted to measure it, and Sniff liked shiny things for the sake of shiny things that may be valuable. Snufkin thought it might be interesting, the adventure to the sapphire much more important than any gem. 

And… moomin had asked him to come along. Funny how that Moomintroll-

The weather wasn’t that great up on the mountains. It spat rain and snow, but their spirits were kept up with song and music. Snufkin kept everyone cheerful, even with the damp. It was tiring, but moomin would smile at him, and it felt like nothing at all to do it. 

He was smitten, truely. Stupid and smitten with a Moomintroll. Good thing said Moomintroll seemed oblivious to it. How embarrassing…

But it was getting soggier, water trickling from the steep mountain sides above across the thin trail they followed. The trickles turned into streams, turning the soil into unstable muck. The other side was steep and rocky, where a river could be seen through the trees far below. He didn’t like it, but there wasn’t a safe place to stop yet. 

“Snufkin!” moomin caught up to him, fur fluffed out for warmth. For a moment, he found himself distracted by his fur, wanting to run his fingers through it. He had to shake his head and make himself pay attention. He was more tired than he realized. 

“Should we stop soon?”

“Yes.” he picked his way around a small boulder, the water-logged soil shifting under his boots. “But we need to find a more solid place, the ground it-” something shifted under his feet and he pushed moomin back out of the way just before the ground gave way from under them. 

It was a blur, he flailed to try and grab onto anything to stop as he tumbled with the rock and soil down the valley side. He had to stop, the river was- there was too much adrenaline and panic to feel pain as he was battered- mud and water was in his mouth and nose and he couldn’t breathe-

He woke up at the base of a tree, frozen and soaked to the skin. Half-buried in the mud, he couldn’t feel much. Maybe that was a good thing. Maybe he would...just close his eyes and rest for a moment. Just until the world settled….

Moomin’s urgent voice pulled him out of the fog he was falling into. He had to get up and moving or the hypothermia would get to him. 

Paws were pulling him out of the mud, up to his feet and patting his face. Moomin’s eyes came into focus, through the growing pounding in his head. 

“Hey, talk to me. Are you okay?” his paws were on his face, holding him steady. 

“Yeah.” he said after a moment, once he found his voice. “Just a little dizzy-” things faded for a moment and he found moomin holding him up.

“You’re not alright! You need to rest!”

“We need to find a safe place to camp.” he coughed up mud, tried to wipe rain out of his eyes. Where was his hat?


	2. Chapter 2

Somehow they found a dry place under a grove of pines, and set up camp there. Snufkin sat apart from the others, shivering as he unbuttoned his shirt to take a look at the damage. He was tender from the collarbone to his hips, the bruising just starting to come up. From how it hurt to take a deep breath, he might have cracked some ribs. At least his clothing protected him from cuts and scrapes. 

His pack was full of mud, just like his coat and hat and everything else he had been wearing. But surely there was something he could salvage to doctor himself. Something to keep the bruising from being too bad-

There was a burst of laughter from around the fire behind him and his heart lurched. It felt something like… 

“Snufkin?” he startled out of the half-doze he had fallen into. Moomin was there, with a cup of coffee for him in his paws. “Are you sure you’re okay? You’ve been quiet all evening.” 

“Just dizzy and cold.” he accepted the coffee, glad for its warmth. Moomin settled by him, and snufkin found himself wanting to curl up against him. Comfort, he was tired and his friend looked soft and warm. It was hard to not want to curl up with him, when he was so close. 

“Do you want some supper?”

“I’m a little sick to my stomach.” he might be a little concussed, which would explain the dizziness. The constant vertigo was making him nauseous. It made it even harder to not want to-

“You should go to bed, get some rest.”

“My bedroll is still drying out.” talking was tiring. 

“Use mine!” he said cheerfully. “I’ll share Snorkmaiden’s!”

Hahaha…. Oh that hurt. 

“Thank you.” he managed to say with a smile, and let himself be led to the bedroll. Laying down made his head feel better at least. Less dizzy.   
He watched moomin and snorkmaiden. She was pearly, powdered white perfection. Round and soft, why wouldn’t moomin want to share her bedroll? She was everything one would want in a future spouse, he supposed. 

Now he was just feeling sorry for himself. He shoved the jealousy down as they laughed together, faces close as they talked about something. He had a crush, that’s all. And he was feeling bad on top of it. he rolled onto his side to put his back to them and- gasped with pain as he put his weight on the cracked ribs. It was enough to bring tears to his eyes, make him cough as he quickly shifted to relieve the sharp pain. He… tasted blood. That wasn’t good. 

He should… no. 

He’d been enough trouble for one day. He couldn’t ruin everyone’s trip because of one bad fall, just like he couldn’t mope around because of a dumb crush. He scrunched his eyes shut, made himself take slow breaths. Slowly, the pain died down to something bearable. He’d be okay.

The weather was better in the morning, the sun coming out and drying out the ground. Snufkin didn’t want to get up out of the bedroll. Everything in his body had stiffened up after a sleepless night on the ground. It didn’t help that the cold and damp felt like it had sunk into his bones. 

He smothered noises of pain and made himself get up and packed for the day. His extra shirt was still damp, but it he put it on over his first, maybe it would help him warm up quicker. He just had to make himself move, work out the stiffness. 

Moomin looked worried has he limped along, offering a paw to help him over a fallen tree. 

“We can go home.” he said softly. 

“No, I’ll be okay. No need to ruin everyone’s adventure because I can’t watch where I’m going.” he smothered back a cough and put on his cheerful face. No need to worry him. 

“I would have fallen too, if you hadn’t pushed me out of the way.” he put a paw on snufkin’s arm, so lightly. But it felt like a burning brand, going to his head and making him dizzy with excitement. Just a touch on the arm, but it was the most physical intimacy he’d ever had- he pulled away and tugged down his hat, so moomin couldn’t see his face turn red. 

“It was nothing.”

“Let me know if you need a break. No need to hurt yourself, okay?”

“Okay.” he was almost giddy, dizzy from this attention and care. He was just kind, he was the sweetest. He’d… have to leave moominvalley after this trip or he’d hurt himself worse with this crush.

(oh, he wouldn’t leave. He’d find some excuse to stay a little longer, be with him just for one more week, then another…)

Moomin didn’t mean anything romantic by this kindness, snufkin told himself over and over. He was just kind. Just sweet. Nothing romantic was meant by it. That’s just how moomin was, it didn’t mean anything.

But- Oh he was so hungry for these bits of affection, the bits of sweetness directed at him. Even if it wasn’t romantic, even if it wasn’t meant as romantic love- it was like water on dry soil. He was in love and he wanted moomin to-

But that hunger hurt again as moomin trotted to catch up with Snorkmaiden. She looked over her shoulder and smiled at snufkin before leaning in to talk with moomin. They were a cute couple. 

The dizziness didn’t go away, and by noon he was considering asking if they could make camp so he could lay down again. Preferably with his head in moomin’s lap- he had to stop thinking like that.

What would it be like to have someone care for him? Someone with a lap for him to lay his head on? What about having a mother? He tried to imagine it, a comfortable female figure smoothing his hair back, bringing him tea. But there was just a blank spot. It’d always been just himself, as far back as he could remember. Alone. Sick or healthy, no one else to help. He’d take care of himself this time too. He couldn’t burden them with this.

Surprisingly, it was Snorkmaiden who announced that her delicate paws hurt. How about they spend the rest of the day in this nice, dry meadow? He could have kissed her. 

His stomach twisted and lurched at the thought of food, so he made a nest in the long grasses and flopped down. His head pounded and swam, and it felt so much better to be laying down, to be still. The sun was warm on him…

Someone was shaking him, calling his name. He blinked awake, the sun was much lower in the sky now. 

“Snufkin?” moomin was by him, paw still on his shoulder. “You wouldn’t wake up, are you okay?”

“Yeah.” he couldn’t hold back a groan as he sat up, holding his injured side. Moomin helped, putting his arm around his shoulders to support him. 

“You were making noises in your sleep, it sounded like you were hurting.” oh he hurt, he was trying not to breathe too deeply to stop the pain. 

“I’m just sore.” not a complete lie. Moomin didn’t look like he believed him. 

“Do you feel up to eating? You haven’t had anything since yesterday.” and for a moomin, missing just one meal was evidence of serious illness. “A cup of soup at least?”

He… should eat a little something. He nodded, and accepted a cup of soup. He sipped it under moomin’s watchful gaze. 

“I’m worried about you.” snufkin glanced up and over at him, feeling his face turning red again, his heart going a mile a minute. Oh no. “I-” and he wrapped his arm around him, unknowingly putting a paw on the broken rib and squeezing. Snufkin gasped, seeing stars and pushed him away. 

His friend pulled away, hurt and embarrassment crossing his long face and he rushed off.

“Wait-” he tried to get out, “moomin-” he felt watery, sinking to the ground again. Oh it hurt in a bad way, sharp like a knife deep in his chest. Moomin had been about to say- the thought floated away. He tried to get air in, tried not to make noise. He should ask moomin, should tell him… the world was grey.

Eventually, it seemed like ages, the pain died down to something manageable, and he emptied his stomach in the grass nearby. He needed to tell, ask- No, moomin was upset now. Better let him cool off. Snufkin would be okay, he could handle this. He’d been worse, like that time he went through a sudden blizzard with pneumonia. Or that time he thought he’d broken his leg. A broken rib or two and a concussion was nothing. 

He tried to sleep again, but he couldn’t find a comfortable position. Everything just hurt.

His head pounded as he got up for the day, and somehow the chill still hadn’t left him. It was in his bones and just added to his misery. He kept shivering, his hands shook to the point he could barely tie his own boots. And the world kept shifting and twisting, refusing to stay steady when he walked. He should… he rubbed his eyes and hunched deeper into his coat. He passed on breakfast and huddled miserably by the fire until they were ready to go. Moomin was avoiding him.

He didn’t like the look of the weather. What had started out as a dark smudge on the horizon was roiling into a thunderhead, and getting closer. They either had to hurry to the valley below, where they would be more protected, or find some sort of shelter. He couldn’t hold them back, he had to keep up with them. 

But… he wobbled, having to stop and rest against a tree for a moment. He was exhausted already, feeling like he’d been walking for hours through treacle. He was so dizzy and things felt… very far away. 

Moomin was in front of him and he couldn’t hear what he was saying- then he was in moomin’s arms, being shaken, face patted.

“I can’t.. You go…” he couldn’t hold them up, they had to get to safety. He’d just… rest a bit and catch up later. He tried to say this but… words weren’t working. Things were fading. He’d just rest a bit, until he felt better.


	3. Chapter 3

Moomin glanced up at the roiling clouds with growing panic. The weather was moving in fast, the wind blowing hard, and it was harder to carry snufkin then he’d thought. His friend was limp, body burning hot through his clothes, occasionally mumbling in an unfamiliar language. Even if they found shelter, snufkin needed medical care. 

“Over here! I found a cave!” Sniff yelled. “It goes in a ways!” Oh thank the booble. 

They got into it just in time, the clouds letting loose in torrents. With the Snork’s help, he laid snufkin down on their blankets. Oh, this cave would be neat to explore while waiting out the storm, but snufkin was… he cradled his head, trying to comfort him as Snorkmaiden carefully undressed him. He was so feverish, she wanted to wash him down. His friend struggled weakly, trying to pull away and mumbling protests. But she stopped and gasped when she pulled back his shirt, revealing the black and blue bruising that covered him. 

“Oh snufkin- moomin, I knew he was hurt, but this is- he might have broken ribs or bruised something inside!”

Guiltily, he remembered how Snufkin had flinched and pushed him away when he tried to put his arm around him. It hadn’t been distaste… it’d been pain. 

“We need to bring him home, or to a doctor…” but could he take being moved? They looked at each other, thinking the same thing.

“But what about the sapphire?” Sniff whined half-heartedly before withering under Snorkmaiden’s glare.

“It’s just a gem. We can find it next summer.” she put her paw on moomin’s shoulder. “When the weather clears, we’ll take him home. But now we need to bring his fever down.”

“He might have medicine in his pack?” he wasn’t hopeful, snufkin’s pack had been nearly ruined in the mudslide. Anything he might have been carrying might have been destroyed. 

“I’ll look. You wash him down.”

Obediently, he soaked a cloth and wiped down snufkin’s face. His skin was nearly translucent and waxy, lips cracked and dry. Even his face was bruised, moomin realized, one eye half swollen shut. It’d been hard to see with his wide-brimmed hat pulled down. The cold water seemed to wake him up, coughing and opening his eyes.

“Water?” he mumbled, eyes unfocused. 

“Yes, here.” he offered him some right away, lifting his head a little so he could drink. He managed to get a few mouthfuls down before coughing again. 

“Where?”

“We found a cave to stay in.” thunder crashed outside. “It’s neat, we’ll have to look around later.”

“I don’t think… I can’t…” he tried to sit up again but could barely move his arms. 

“Shhh…. You need to rest. You’ll be okay.” he wasn’t sure where to touch him that wouldn’t hurt him, but he tried stroking his hair, his unbruised cheek. “You need to rest and get your strength back.”

“moomin... “ and then he faded into mumbles, falling back into something like sleep. Moomin wiped his face and chest down, making soothing noises.   
“Hey.” snorkmaiden knelt down by him. “I found willow bark in his pack.”

“Why didn’t he say something? We could have found some place to hang out for a few days while he recovered.” he rubbed at his face, close to worried tears.   
“I don’t know.” she rubbed his back, comforting him. She knew how he felt about snufkin better than anyone. “Why don’t you start a fire and I’ll get the kettle out. We can steep this and it’ll help his fever.”

“Okay.” he sniffled and tucked snufkin better into the blankets. “Okay.”

He was sunk somewhere dark and cold, nothing to hear but the hammering of his own heart. Where was he? He was so thirsty…

Someone touched his forehead, bringing him up out of the cold place.

“Vatten, tack…” he mumbled, trying to open his eyes, see who it was. It was so dark, he was so thirsty... “vatten…”

The paw lifted up his head, bringing something warm and bitter to his lips. He gulped it down, nearly choking himself. It was pulled away, something was said in a soft voice, he didn’t understand. It was brought back and he finished it off. 

“Mor?” he asked. Mother? Something tried to tell him he had no mother, but who was being so gentle? He couldn’t remember what happened, where he was. “Mor? Dor jag?”

A cold, wet rag washed his face, down his chest. He was cold, but it soothed his pounding head. 

What happened? Where was he? Was he dying?

“Snufkin?” that was him, his name. Someone was talking to him again. “Hey there.”

He cracked his eyes open, a white blur was in front of him. Something from the back of his mind dragged up a name. Moomin. 

“Var? Vad hande?”

“I don’t understand.” he smoothed snufkin’s hair back, rubbed his thumb down his cheek. “You want more to drink?” It took him a moment to process what moomin said.

“Yes.” he finally said, but he needed help sitting up. He couldn’t feel pain anymore, was that good? He felt like water, like he was about to melt away into nothingness at any time. It was dark, a small fire the only source of light. But moomin was warm, seeping into his frozen body. 

Moomin brought a mug up to his lips, and snufkin drank it obediently. It tasted better than the bitter thing he’d been given earlier. It was exhausting to drink, and his head drooped down onto moomin’s shoulder once he was finished. 

Was he dying? It felt like he was. He didn’t want to die, but he was so tired… 

“I love you, moomin.” he managed to slur out. Maybe it was in the right language this time. He slid back into the cold, dark place once again.


	4. Chapter 4

Snufkin’s breathing evened out, slipping into sleep and moomin let out a sigh of relief. At least he got some of the medicine into him and a cup of cocoa, hopefully it would help. The fever was high still, moomin could feel the heat of him through his fur. Carefully, he laid him back down on the blankets, trying not to jar his ribs. Snufkin whimpered in his sleep, muttering something in that other language. 

“Shh, I’m here. You’ll be okay.” he smoothed back his damp hair again, and snufkin settled back into better dreams. 

“Moomin?” snorkmaiden shifted, “get some sleep.”

“I can’t…”

“I’ll sit with him for a while. You need your rest too.” she sat up, stretching. “Did it stop raining?”

“No, not yet.” he curled up, tail over his nose. He didn’t think he could sleep as worried as he was. But Snorkmaiden rubbed his back and he found himself drifting off. 

She fed the fire some pine needles, just enough to keep the cave warm. The storm had brought a chill with it. She, her brother, sniff and moomin would be warm enough with their thick fur, but snufkin… even as feverish as he was he needed to stay warm. 

The medicine seemed to help. He wasn’t much cooler, but his sleep was deeper, not as restless as it had been. She curled up around him and dozed off herself, holding his paw in hers. When he tossed and muttered, she easily woke and soothed him with soft words and a pat. 

He was… asking for his mother. 

“No snufkin, it’s just me.” she rubbed his shoulder. He was still so warm, she could feel it through his shirt. 

“Moomin?” he half opened his eyes, looking around in confusion. 

“No, snorkmaiden.” had he gone blind? No, she told herself, it was just dark and he was confused. “Go back to sleep, sweety.”

“I’m sorry.” he whimpered. “I let you down.”

“No, you didn’t. You got hurt, it happens. Shh…” she smoothed out his hair. 

“You can have my harmonica…” he was starting to fade out, struggling to keep his eyes open. “And m’pipe…”

“Snufkin.” she said, a little sharply. “You’re not dying.”

“I love you, moomin…” he mumbled, relaxing back into something like sleep. She sighed. They had to get him back home. But… she glanced out the mouth of the cave. The rain had died down to a drizzle, but there was still a cold wind blowing through. Traveling in this weather would make his fever worse, and he was still in so much pain. 

She bit her lip, thinking. Comfrey and feverfew, surely she could find that. More willow bark. Henbane and belladonna, they were poisonous, but in small amounts it could be used to relieve the pain and help him sleep through the trip. 

Her brother stirred, rolling over and looking at her sleepily. “You up?”

“Moomin needed sleep.”

“Coffee?” he put on his glasses, adjusting the little strings he used to keep them on his face. He was slow to wake up in the morning.

“I’ll take some.”

“Kay.” he patted her shoulder and fed the fire. 

When moomin woke up, she made them a breakfast of eggs beaten with butter. He managed to feed a few bites to a groggy snufkin. It wasn’t enough to give their friend much strength, but at least it was something.

She sighed and carefully fluffed herself up until she was good and waterproof. 

“I’m going to go foraging.”

“I’ll go with you.” Moomin said, standing up and rubbing his face.

“Are you sure?”

“I’ll watch snufkin.” The Snork offered. 

“I just need to clear my head.” he said miserably. 

“Sure.” she took his paw and squeezed it. “Let’s go.”

They came up with comfrey and more willowbark. Snorkmaiden was quieter than normal, but they both were, to tell the truth. This adventure was no longer fun. An hour or so and he was itching to get back to Snufkin. His friend had said… he thought he said… 

Snufkin was quiet, still except for his shallow breathing. He mumbled when they moved him, sitting him up so they could put the paste of crushed leaves against his bruises and wrap him up. 

“Snufkin?” moomin cupped his cheek, “are you thirsty?”

“Thirsty.” he mumbled, half opening his eyes. He obediently drank more of the willow bark tea, making a face at the bitterness of it. But there was cocoa, and moomin gave him a bit of that too. The sugar seemed to revive him a bit.

“What’s going on?”

“We’re going to head back home tomorrow. You’ve been really sick.”

“I don’t remember.” he rubbed his face with a shaking hand. “Did we find the sapphire?”

“Don’t worry about it. We’re going home.”

“I don’t think I can walk.”

“I’ll carry you back. You’ll feel much better when we’re at home. You can sleep in a real bed and momma will make the fish stew you like.”

“You can’t carry me all the way.” he felt like he’d had this conversation before. 

“I can and I will. You… should have told me you were hurt.”

“I wasn’t hurt that bad.” maybe. His head was foggy. 

“You broke ribs, you’ve been coughing up blood. That’s… I- even if it wasn’t that bad, you hurt yourself more! We could have found some place to hang out for a few days! Gone back and tried again!”

“I can take care of….” and he trailed off, it tasted like a lie. He thought he could take care of himself, but then here he was. “ I’m sorry moomin, I thought I could take care of myself. Always did before.”

And moomin hugged him, carefully, like he would break if touched the wrong way. He sunk into it, exhausted from the short conversation. 

“Whatever you think is best.” he mumbled into his fur. It was hard to say but- “I trust you.”


	5. Chapter 5

Snufkin told himself he felt better the next morning. Even though he needed help getting his shirt and coat on and his legs shook when he stood up. He felt better, he told himself again. He insisted on walking, granted he needed moomin’s support to keep upright. 

“Snufkin?” he blinked awake, sagging from moomin’s arms. “Okay, I’m carrying you.”

“No, I’m fine.” moomin gave him a look he must have learned from Snorkmaiden or his mother. He closed his eyes. “Okay.”

It hurt his ribs to be carried on moomin’s back, but the group made better time. Every step made the bones grind, and he had to smother back noises. Sweat beaded up on his face, dripping down into the collar of his shirt. 

The trail grew rocky as they went up the mountain, and moomin stumbled from time to time, balance thrown off with snufkin’s added weight. He clung to moomin, fingers dug into his fur. 

“Moomin-” he was surprised at the faintness of his own voice. “You should take a break.”

“That’s a good idea.” snorkmaiden agreed. Her brother helped snufkin to the ground, he had to cling to him to keep on his feet. 

He blinked and he was sitting on the ground, leaned up against someone. The world was spinning and voices sounded very far away. No, he needed to stay awake, needed to get a bit of food and drink into himself to keep up his strength. Strength… he could hardly hold up his head, how could he be so tired… hot and cold at the same time...

Snorkmaiden brought a mug of tea over to where snufkin was leaning against her brother. He was struggling to keep his eyes open, head dropping forward every so often. There was a sheen of sweat on his skin, he looked up at her with a blurry look. 

“moominmamma?” he asked, trying to focus on her. “Are we home?”

“Not yet, snufkin.” she helped him drink the heavily sweetened tea, hoping the sugar would help him come around. “Just another day or two and we’ll be back in moomin valley.”

He swallowed the tea. “Just gotta hold on.” he mumbled to himself before coughing. It was a deep, rattling sound, and he clutched at his side. 

“Shh….” she patted his face, trying to comfort him. “Lay down for a little bit, okay?”

“Okay mama.” he mumbled, closing his eyes. “Is it snowing?”

“I’ll carry him when we start off again.” her brother said, tucking his pack under snufkin’s head so he could rest. “His fever is back.”

“I know.” she said, worried. “And his breathing sounds worse.”

“We could build a stretcher, carry him on that. It’d be less tiring for him.”

“The trails are too narrow.”

“Shoot.” 

“Is it snowing?” snufkin mumbled again. She absently-minded stroked his hair until he settled, rubbing the back of her paw against his cheek. 

“What are we going to do?” her brother looked up at her. 

“Get him home to moominmamma. Try to get water into him as much as possible.” she bit her lip, putting her paw on snufkin’s chest to feel his erratic heartbeat. “Try to hurry.” 

Moominmamma stood on the porch of the moomin house, listening very intently. Something was….

She smoothed down her apron and stepped back inside.

“Dear, the children will be coming back soon.”

“Will they?” he asked from the kitchen table, attempting to put a radio back together. “I hope they had a good time. Good for children to have adventures…”

“Mmhmm.” so much to do. They would be hungry, might as well make a big pot of stew, salad. Make a nice pie. Air out the guest room.

She hesitated, paw on her grandmother’s book. Something was… she tapped a finger on the cover, thinking before going to pull out some medicines. Always good to be prepared. 

The pie was cooling on the window when she caught a glimpse of the children coming down the valley path. Oh good, there was all of them, but snufkin- she could see a drab green figure draped over her son’s shoulders.

Oh no.

She took a deep breath and smoothed out her apron again. It wouldn’t do to be upset in front of the children. She could tell from here they were upset as it was.  
“Papa, the children are back and Snufkin’s hurt.” she said as calmly as if she was telling him that supper was ready. “Help moomin take him to the guest room.”

“Snufkin? What’s wrong-” his eyes grew wide as he joined her on the porch, before rushing out to meet them. She bit her lip, he was pale, he looked- and then snufkin tried to raise his head, looking confused at moominpapa as he was shifted from one moomin to the other. Oh thank goodness, he was alive!

Pappa helped her get snufkin undressed as moomin watched helplessly. He looked tired too, she nuzzled his face and told him to eat the pie before sniff ate it all. Reluctantly, he let himself be led downstairs by his pappa. 

“Now, then… oh snufkin, what happened to you?” she patted his cheek, “open your eyes, sweety.”

He blearlily opened them, looking up at her blankly. He muttered something, head sinking back down. His breathing was quick and shallow, chest moving unevenly with every pained intake. He was trying to fight back up into reality, moaning softly as she touched his ribs, tried to find the breaks and if they would move back into place. No, it’d been too long since it happened. There was alot of old blood gathered under the skin and muscle from the bruising. That could be restricting his breathing, causing the pain...

She sighed, moved onto washing him down with cold water. He burned with fever, and she considered running a cold bath for him in the tub. No, he was weak, the shock of hot to cold might be too much. 

“Mor?” he whimpered. He was fighting to stay awake, to try and focus on her. 

“I’ll be right back.” she tucked the blanket around him, smoothing his hair back. He muttered something else, eyes closing.

Moomin was picking at his pie, snorkmaiden’s arms wrapped around him to comfort him. 

“Mamma, is he…?”

She shook her head, and started on a poultice to put on his chest. First, something to loosen up the congestion he couldn’t get out. With the broken ribs, it was too painful for him to cough. 

She chopped up and fried an onion, mixing it with vinegar until it made a sharp-scented pasted. Smeared on the boy’s chest, it made him cough. But after a few moments his breathing eased. There. He’d rest better without having to use so much energy to breathe. Now then...

Snufkin fought against going back into the cold, dark place. Everytime he drifted down there… it was good to be away from the pain, but it was getting harder and harder to make himself come back. So he struggled to keep his eyes open, keep awake. Focus on fur under his hands, feeling the sunshine warm his face. But his strength would fade and he’d drift down again.

Where was his mother? She had come before, why wouldn’t she come back and help him? Was he not… he kept trying to ask for her, beg, promise to be good if she’d just come back back and… soft paws lifted him up and he was tucked against someone’s warm body. He was so cold, down to the bone… why was it snowing, it was summer…

Someone was calling his name, and he managed to crawl out of the dark place. A room, a bed, he couldn’t remember why it was so familiar. Why couldn’t he think? It didn’t matter, he was against someone’s soft figure and he was comfortable. 

A cup was put to his lip, something bitter, but warm. He obediently drank it, surprised by how thirsty he was. 

Where was moomin? The question drifted in and out. He should make sure moomin was okay. 

“Shhh, moomin is fine.” his mother told him quietly. Had he been speaking out loud? He tried to focus on her, blurry and white. Beautiful. 

“Go back to sleep, snufkin dear.” his mother nuzzled his ear with her velvet-soft snout. No, if he slept he’d go back to… to the… he sunk down but it was warmer now, not so deep and dark

He woke up sometime later, sunlight streaming onto his face. Moominmamma was by his side, humming as she knit.

“Moominmamma?” he didn’t recognize his own voice, weak and hoarse. He tried to sit up, surprised to find he barely had the strength to lift his head. “Moomin?”  
“Ah, there you are, snufkin.” she set her knitting down, cupping his cheek. “Oh good, you’re cooler now.”

“Feel terrible.” he recognized the room now, the moomin house’s guest room. The quilt was familiar under his hands, it smelled like lavender. 

Oh.

“I’m sure you do. Do you feel like eating a little?”

“A little.” he tried not to feel disappointed that… it had just been moominmamma. Of course, she was kind, she would have taken good care of him and that should be enough, but…

“I’ll make you a little something.” she tugged the blankets up around his chin and left him. 

There was the murmur of voices from below, then the pounding of feet rushing up the stairs and down the hall. Moomin burst in, fur sticking up everywhere in his excitement.

“You’re awake!”

“I think so.” he couldn’t help but smile as moomin practically tackled him on the bed.

“I was so worried! You wouldn’t wake up and you didn’t make any sense.” he wibbled, then rubbed his eyes and helped sit snufkin up against the pillows. “Momma is making you some toast.”

“Oh good.” he leaned up against moomin, craving comfort. His friend wrapped an arm around him, tucking him in close to his side. “Hey…”

“Yes?”

“It was you and snorkmaiden that took care of me, right?”

“The others helped too, but, yeah. Why?”

“Nothing. I thought…. It was the fever.”

“What is it?” he slipped his paw into snufkin’s, squeezing it gently. “You look sad.”

“My mother… I must have been dreaming.” the memory of it was faint. “Ha, I don’t know who she is, why would she… she…” he blinked, tears welling up. He was sick, that’s why he cared, that’s the only reason why. It must be the only reason why. 

“Shhh….” moomin kissed his face, one cheek, then the other, kissed away the tears. “You have me.”

“Always?” he mumbled, burying his face in moomin’s shoulder. 

“Always, you silly thing.” 

“What about snorkmaiden?”

“She’s here for you too.”

“I don’t understand.” his brain was tired, all he cared about was being curled up with moomin.

“Shhh…” he rubbed his back. “Momma will bring you a snack, then you can sleep some more. We have the rest of the summer to talk about it.”

“Okay.” and he closed his eyes, secure in moomin’s arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this fic has been a struggle. you know how many times I have re-written this thing? yeesh, I decided to put it out of it's misery and just post it. thank every one of you that has kept up with it and given likes and comments!  
next fic in the works is in a new fandom, Ok KO, so if you want to keep up with me and my writing, please follow me on tumblr! https://animalswithfancyhats.tumblr.com/


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